The Great Wall (2016) Reviews

• The Opposite of White-washing

  henhelena2017-07-19

  I'm Chinese and I don't think to have Matt Damon as the main character is a white-washing or anything racist. Some foreigners are needed to show foreigner's perspective of the magnificent China : the Great Wall, the weapons, the army, etc. While the CGI, costume designers and production staffs are whites, 90%+ of the casts are Chinese. Even the directors are Chinese. The director Zhang Yimou pick Damon by his artistic choice. This is not a Chinese film, nor a Western film, this is definitely a collaboration, which prove that if we human, from East, and West, if we trust each other and to work together, we could achieved great things. If even Chinese are not offended, why white people called this film racist?

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• A Very Entertaining Film

  captainpat2016-12-29

  As a constant film goer I was really impressed with this film. It was entertaining. The story worked well. The acting was great. And the effects were really impressive. I watched it on a big screen in Bangkok and enjoyed the experience. The sound was equally impressive. I just can't understand why the really negative reviews abound. Some are cursing it for having foreign actors. Others about the political situation etc. And the poor director is even getting a caning. The story is about a legend. And it was wonderful to just sit back and let someone tell a story. I nearly didn't go because of all the bad reviews but I am glad I went and made up my own mind. Go and see it.

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• Surprisingly good

  juliejones-594432017-05-16

  Wasn't expecting to enjoy this film but I was rapt soon in, fabulous acting and brilliant images, what a feast for the eyes and an adventure that dragged you along, (so not my normally my kind of thing) but amazing and recommended to everyone, the visuals are amazing, very stunning film

• Not a masterpiece for sure, yet enjoyable

  saeerdna2017-01-02

  If you don't have any expectations, this film might surprise you a bit. I really liked the special effects, even if I started laughing when I first saw the antagonists. Most scenes between battles were quite awkward, full of clichés. Yet, once the battle begins, any cliché this film might have is really fun to watch and not at all annoying. What I hated the most was the unfortunate English accent... used during the Song dynasty (960-1279). Overall, the plot is quite linear and simple and is centered around one important moment. Character development was welcoming, but not impressive and definitely not unexpected. The best part was not fulfilling the love sub-plot, even though I half expected this and I would have been really disappointed if it had happened. Anyway, it was an enjoyable film with better 3D effects than I expected and many other films, so give it a try. But be open minded and admire what is to be admired.

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• There are many legends about The Great Wall, this is one of them...

  DanMihaimovienoncritic2016-12-26

  I just saw it in Romania in a good 3d cinema. The movie tells a legend. And it tells it so beautifully! The cinematography is breathtaking and for all the duration I was more than a movie spectator, I felt part of that legend, a character from that story, present among the troops defending the wall. If a movie succeeds in delivering such an experience, the rest is not important anymore. In this point, I don t care anymore about plot holes or historical inaccuracies, because I came to cinema to see a fantasy, a Chinese legend with monsters and heroes. And there I was, in a war story, set in a different world, filled with amazing elements of the old Chinese culture, surrounded by exceptional warriors, beautiful landscapes and bloodthirsty monsters. I am very saddened to see the negativity among critics and public surrounding this movie. Complaining about historical inaccuracies or being racist about the mix of races is so misplaced. I hope people will go see it and ignore the bad criticism and prejudices about it.

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